"Lights On" is a multiple message, ranging from let's have some light so that we can see what we think we're doing, to open up your heart and mind to the wonderful and myriad possibilities of this strange concoction we call a world, to a call to the enlightened to shine forth as an example of just who you are or might become.

The first sense we can pretty much ignore except to mention one "light bulb joke" -- to wit: "How many officials of Homeland Insecurity does it take to change a light bulb?" Answer: "666. 600 to declare, administer, and later explain away the intentional misstatements concerning the attempts by Barney the dinosaur to acquire nuclear fissionable material from Timbuktu, Africa, in a surreptitious attempt to develop weapons of bulb destruction -- said fabrications designed to justify moving from amber to orange to fire engine red alert throughout the nation; 60 to duct tape every wall, door, window, vent, and bystander in the area; and 6 to rotate turns in doing quick twists of the bulb -- due to the fact the brightly shining bulb is really quite hot.

[Let's face it: About the best we can do with the infamous Patriot Act and the Homeland Insecurity it has foisted upon us, is to laugh at it.]

The second connotation of Lights On is letting the sun shine in (and/or sunshine in), or when the sun is unavailable, letting in star light when appropriately moon clad (i.e. naked). In many respects, this is about opening up to the really good stuff available on a daily basis in most of our lives.

BTW, sunshine is good for us. But like anything, it's not a good idea to overdo it. Recent research, for example, has reported that sunscreen increases the risk of skin cancer [What's New Netscape -- August 5, 2003]. The key, of course, is that with Sunscreen, people tend to stay in the sun longer. Duh. Then there's the "cocktail of chemicals" in the average sunscreen potion which convert to free radicals which damage cells and cause cancer. The fact that sunscreen can only convert light energy to other forms of energy (as opposed to shielding or reflecting it) leads to the conclusion that the energy is going somewhere(and quite probably effecting DNA!). Obviously Health and Responsibility go hand in hand. Besides, you can always put a seashore screen saver on your monitor and use your imagination. Coupled with using full spectrum (solar spectrum) light bulbs, you can even increase your ability to read the novel you had planned for the beach.

The third connotation is to share the results of the second connotation with others. But inasmuch as you never know if someone else is ready for your brand of enlightenment, it's always wiser to simply relish your delights at the world around you -- and don't bother to hide the fact that you are having a wonderful time. One possibility, for example, is to pretend you've just fallen in love. [If you have a current love, be sure and clue them in on your plans before they misunderstand your giddy, dopey expression.] "All the world loves a lover," and when you're bouncing around with the silliest of grins on your face, your example can only result in positive vibes.

A good source of examples intent upon serving as examples is contained in Voices of Light [Nancy Lee, Chrysalis Books, West Chester, PA, 2003]. These "conversations on the New Spirituality" include Ms. Lee and such notable individuals as: Michael Abrams, Shakti Gawain, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and Elizabeth Lesser, just to name a few.